The cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) inhibitor bergamottin enhances host tolerance to multidrug-resistant Vibrio vulnificus infection.

PURPOSE: Vibrio vulnificus (V. Vulnificus) infection is characterized by rapid onset, aggressive progression, and challenging treatment. Bacterial resistance poses a significant challenge for clinical anti-infection treatment and is thus the subject of research. Enhancing host infection tolerance represents a novel infection prevention strategy to improve patient survival. Our team initially identified cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) as an important target owing to its negative modulation of the body's infection tolerance. This study explored the superior effects of the CYP1A1 inhibitor bergamottin compared to antibiotic combination therapy on the survival of mice infected with multidrug-resistant V. Vulnificus and the protection of their vital organs. METHODS: An increasing concentration gradient method was used to induce multidrug-resistant V. Vulnificus development. We established a lethal infection model in C57BL/6J male mice and evaluated the effect of bergamottin on mouse survival. A mild infection model was established in C57BL/6J male mice, and the serum levels of creatinine, urea nitrogen, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to evaluate the effect of bergamottin on liver and kidney function. The morphological changes induced in the presence of bergamottin in mouse organs were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining of liver and kidney tissues. The bacterial growth curve and organ load determination were used to evaluate whether bergamottin has a direct antibacterial effect on multidrug-resistant V. Vulnificus. Quantification of inflammatory factors in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the expression levels of inflammatory factors in liver and kidney tissues by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to evaluate the effect of bergamottin on inflammatory factor levels. Western blot analysis of IκBα, phosphorylated IκBα, p65, and phosphorylated p65 protein expression in liver and kidney tissues and in human hepatocellular carcinomas-2 and human kidney-2 cell lines was used to evaluate the effect of bergamottin on the nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathway. One-way ANOVA and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In mice infected with multidrug-resistant V. Vulnificus, bergamottin prolonged survival (p = 0.014), reduced the serum creatinine (p = 0.002), urea nitrogen (p = 0.030), aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.029), and alanine aminotransferase (p = 0.003) levels, and protected the cellular morphology of liver and kidney tissues. Bergamottin inhibited interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in serum (IL-1ß: p = 0.010, IL-6: p = 0.029, TNF-α: p = 0.025) and inhibited the protein expression of the inflammatory factors IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α in liver (IL-1ß: p = 0.010, IL-6: p = 0.011, TNF-α: p = 0.037) and kidney (IL-1ß: p = 0.016, IL-6: p = 0.011, TNF-α: p = 0.008) tissues. Bergamottin did not affect the proliferation of multidrug-resistant V. Vulnificus or the bacterial load in the mouse peritoneal lavage fluid (p = 0.225), liver (p = 0.186), or kidney (p = 0.637). CONCLUSION: Bergamottin enhances the tolerance of mice to multidrug-resistant V. Vulnificus infection. This study can serve as a reference and guide the development of novel clinical treatment strategies for V. Vulnificus.

Lavender essential oil accelerates lipopolysaccharide-induced chronic wound healing by inhibiting caspase-11-mediated macrophage pyroptosis.

Chronic wounds seriously affect the quality of life of the elderly, obese people, and diabetic patients. The excessive inflammatory response is a key driver of delayed chronic wound healing. Although lavender essential oil (EO [lav]) has been proven to have anti-inflammatory and accelerate wound curative effects, the specific molecular mechanism involved is still ambiguous. The results showed that the wounds treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) not only had delayed healing, but also the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and the inflammatory mediator protein, high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB-1), in the wound tissues were significantly increased. However, treatment of LPS-induced chronic wounds with EO (lav) accelerated wound healing and decreased IL-1ß and HMGB-1 expression levels. It was further found that LPS induced macrophage pyroptosis to produce IL-1ß. After treatment with EO (lav), the expression level of macrophage pyroptosis marker Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and pyroptosis-related cytotoxic effects were significantly reduced. Immunofluorescence results also directly indicate that EO (lav) can protect macrophages from LPS-induced pyroptosis. Moreover, EO (lav) can down-regulate expression levels of IL-1ß, GSDMD, and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in the caspase-11-related pyroptotic signaling pathway. This study demonstrates that EO (lav) can reduce proinflammatory factor production and ameliorate inflammatory response by inhibiting macrophage pyroptosis, which accelerates LPS-induced chronic wound healing.

Expert consensus on the monitoring and treatment of sepsis-induced immunosuppression.

Emerged evidence has indicated that immunosuppression is involved in the occurrence and development of sepsis. To provide clinical practice recommendations on the immune function in sepsis, an expert consensus focusing on the monitoring and treatment of sepsis-induced immunosuppression was developed. Literature related to the immune monitoring and treatment of sepsis were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure to design items and expert opinions were collected through an online questionnaire. Then, the Delphi method was used to form consensus opinions, and RAND appropriateness method was developed to provide consistency evaluation and recommendation levels for consensus opinions. This consensus achieved satisfactory results through two rounds of questionnaire survey, with 2 statements rated as perfect consistency, 13 as very good consistency, and 9 as good consistency. After summarizing the results, a total of 14 strong recommended opinions, 8 weak recommended opinions and 2 non-recommended opinions were produced. Finally, a face-to-face discussion of the consensus opinions was performed through an online meeting, and all judges unanimously agreed on the content of this consensus. In summary, this expert consensus provides a preliminary guidance for the monitoring and treatment of immunosuppression in patients with sepsis.

A Transendothelial Leukocyte Transmigration Model Based on Computational Fluid Dynamics and BP Neural Network.

The mechanism of immune infiltration involving immune cells is closely related to various diseases. A key issue in immune infiltration is the transendothelial transmigration of leukocytes. Previous studies have primarily interpreted the leukocyte infiltration of from biomedical perspective. The physical mechanism of leukocyte infiltration remains to be explored. By integrating the immune cell transmigration computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data, the paper builds a time-dependent leukocyte transmigration prediction model based on the bio-inspired methods, namely back propagation neural networks (BPNN) model. The model can efficiently predict the immune cell transmigration in a special microvascular environment, and obtain good prediction accuracy. The model accurately predicted the cell movement and flow field changes during the transmigration. In the test data set, it has high prediction accuracy for cell deformation, motion velocity and flow lift forces during downstream motion, and maintains a good prediction accuracy for drag force. The two prediction models achieved the prediction of leukocyte transmigration in a specific microvascular environment and maintained a high prediction accuracy, indicating the feasibility and robustness of the BPNN model applied to the prediction of immune cell infiltration. Compared with traditional CFD simulations, BPNN models avoid complex and time-dependent physical modeling and computational processes.

Integrated bioinformatical and in vitro study on drug targets for liver cirrhosis based on unsupervised consensus clustering and immune cell infiltration.

Liver cirrhosis is one of the most common cause of death in the world. The progress of liver cirrhosis involves health, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, leading to great challenges in the diagnosis of the disease. Drug targets, which could be obtained conveniently, can help clinicians improve prognosis and treatment. Liver cirrhosis is associated with serum calcium levels. And studies reported Tanshinone IIA plays a therapeutic role in liver injury through activating calcium-dependent apoptosis. In this study, we explored the diagnostic key targets of Tanshinone IIA in liver cirrhosis through exploration of comprehensive dataset including health, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer patients. The unsupervised consensus clustering algorithm identified 3 novel subtypes in which differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between both subtypes were found by pairwise comparison. Then, 4 key drug targets of Tanshinone IIA were determined through the intersection of these DEGs. The diagnostic performance of target genes was assessed and further verified in the external dataset. We found that the 4 key drug targets could be used as effective diagnostic biomarkers. Then the immune scores in the high and low expression groups of target genes were estimated to identify significantly expressed immune cells. In addition, the immune infiltration of high and low target gene expression groups in several immune cells were significantly different. The findings suggest that 4 key drug targets may be a simple and useful diagnostic tool for predicting patients with cirrhosis. We further studied the carcinogenesis role of AKR1C3 and TPX2 in vitro. Both mRNA and protein expression in hepatoma carcinoma cells was detected using qRT-PCR and Western blot. And the knockdown of AKR1C3 and TPX2 significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

Knockout of cytochrome P450 1A1 enhances lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice by targeting NF-κB activation.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is accompanied by overactivation of multiple pro-inflammatory factors. Cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) has been shown to aggravate lung injury in response to hyperoxia. However, the relationship between CYP1A1 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI is unknown. In this study, CYP1A1 was shown to be upregulated in mouse lung in response to LPS. Using CYP1A1-deficient (CYP1A1-/-) mice, we found that CYP1A1 knockout enhanced LPS-induced ALI, as evidenced by increased TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and nitric oxide in lung; these effects were mediated by overactivation of NF-κB and iNOS. Furthermore, we found that aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, and creatinine levels were elevated in serum of LPS-induced CYP1A1-/- mice. Altogether, these data provide novel insights into the involvement of CYP1A1 in LPS-induced lung injury.

Cytochrome P450 1A1 enhances inflammatory responses and impedes phagocytosis of bacteria in macrophages during sepsis.

The hydroxylase cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) is regulated by the inflammation-limiting aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), but CYP1A1 immune functions remain unclear. We observed CYP1A1 overexpression in peritoneal macrophages (PMs) isolated from mice following LPS or heat-killed Escherichia. coli (E. coli) challenge. CYP1A1 overexpression augmented TNF-α and IL-6 production in RAW264.7 cells (RAW) by enhancing JNK/AP-1 signalling. CYP1A1 overexpression also promoted 12S-hydroxy-5Z,8Z,10E,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid (12(S)-HETE) production in activated RAW, while a 12(S)-HETE antibody attenuated and 12(S)-HETE alone induced inflammatory responses. Macrophages harbouring hydroxylase-deficient CYP1A1 demonstrated reduced 12(S)-HETE generation and LPS-induced TNF-α/IL-6 secretion. CYP1A1 overexpression also impaired phagocytosis of bacteria via decreasing the expression of scavenger receptor A (SR-A) in PMs. Mice injected with CYP1A1-overexpressing PMs were more susceptible to CLP- or E. coli-induced mortality and bacteria invading, while Rhapontigenin, a selective CYP1A1 inhibitor, improved survival and bacteria clearance of mice in sepsis. CYP1A1 and 12(S)-HETE were also elevated in monocytes and plasma of septic patients and positively correlated with SOFA scores. Macrophage CYP1A1 disruption could be a promising strategy for treating sepsis. Video abstract.

Correction to: Cytochrome P450 1A1 enhances inflammatory responses and impedes phagocytosis of bacteria in macrophages during sepsis.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Neutrophilic granule protein (NGP) attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses and enhances phagocytosis of bacteria by macrophages.

Neutrophilic granule protein (NGP) belongs to the cystatin superfamily. Even though this superfamily is critically involved in cancer biology and adaptive immunity, the relationship of macrophage NGP to inflammation and phagocytosis remains poorly understood. In this study, we observed a significant increase of NGP in peritoneal macrophages (PMs) isolated from mice challenged with E. coli or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as judged by NGP mRNA microarray. We also found changes in NGP to be mainly Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-dependent. By western blot and electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we demonstrated NGP overexpression to reduce TNF-α and IL-1ß production by LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells (RAW) via suppression of the NF-κB (p65 and p50) signalling pathway, rather than the JNK1/AP-1 (fos and jun) signalling pathway. NGP overexpression by LPS-induced RAW also induced IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, which was partially involved in the anti-inflammatory effect produced by NGP overexpression. Moreover, upregulated NGP enhanced the phagocytosis of E. coli by RAW. Taken together, these results demonstrated NGP to be an important host defense component that regulates inflammatory responses and phagocytosis by activated macrophages. As such, NGP may be useful for the treatment of inflammatory based disease.

Cytochrome P450 1A1 enhances Arginase-1 expression, which reduces LPS-induced mouse peritonitis by targeting JAK1/STAT6.

The polarization of macrophages is critical to inflammation and tissue repair, with unbalanced macrophage polarization associated with critical dysfunctions of the immune system. Cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) is a hydroxylase mainly controlled by the inflammation-limiting aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which plays a critical role in mycoplasma infection, oxidative stress injury, and cancer. Arginase-1 (Arg-1) is a surrogate for polarized alternative macrophages and is important to the production of nitric oxide (NO) by the modulation of arginine. In the present study, we found CYP1A1 to be upregulated in IL-4-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages (PMs) and human peripheral blood monocytes. Using CYP1A1-overexpressing RAW264.7 cells (CYP1A1/RAW) we found that CYP1A1 augmented Arg-1 expression by strengthening the activation of the JAK1/STAT6 signaling pathway in macrophages treated with IL-4. 15(S)-HETE, a metabolite of CYP1A1 hydroxylase, was elevated in IL-4-induced CYP1A1/RAW cells. Further, in macrophages, the loss-of-CYP1A1-hydroxylase activity was associated with reduced IL-4-induced Arg-1 expression due to impaired 15(S)-HETE generation. Of importance, CYP1A1 overexpressing macrophages reduced the inflammation associated with LPS-induced peritonitis. Taken together, these findings identified a novel signaling axis, CYP1A1-15(S)-HETE-JAK1-STAT6, that may be a promising target for the proper maintenance of macrophage polarization and may also be a means by which to treat immune-related disease due to macrophage dysfunction.

Ellipticine Conveys Protective Effects to Lipopolysaccharide-Activated Macrophages by Targeting the JNK/AP-1 Signaling Pathway.

Ellipticine, a natural product from Ochrosia elliptica, has been broadly investigated for its anticancer effects. Although inflammation has been clearly identified as a key factor in the onset and progression of cancer, the relationship between ellipticine and inflammation remains unknown. Hence, the aims of the present study were to assess the effects of ellipticine on the inflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophages and to potentially identify the underlying mechanisms involved. Viability testing showed that ellipticine was not significantly toxic to Raw264.7 cells and actually conveyed protective effects to LPS-stimulated Raw264.7 cells and human peripheral blood monocytes by decreasing the secretion of inflammatory factors (TNF-α and IL-6). The results of western blot analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that ellipticine markedly suppressed LPS-induced activation of the JNK/AP-1 (c-Fos and c-Jun) signaling pathway, but not ERK/p38/NF-κB pathway (p65 and p50) activation. Furthermore, ellipticine reduced the inflammatory response and mortality in a mouse model of LPS-induced endotoxic shock. Collectively, these data indicate that ellipticine may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of inflammation-associated diseases.

Sequential Assembly of Morita-Baylis-Hillman Carbonates and Activated ortho-Vinylbenzaldehydes To Construct Chiral Methanobenzo[7]annulenone Frameworks.

The α-regioselective asymmetric [3 + 2] annulation reaction of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates from isatins and activated ortho-vinylbenzaldehyses was developed by the catalysis of a chiral tertiary amine. The sequential N-heterocyclic carbene-mediated intramolecular Stetter reaction was conducted to finally furnish the bridged 5,8-methanobenzo[7]annulen-9-one architectures incorporating a spirooxindole motif with excellent stereoselectivity.

Asymmetric Dearomative Formal [4 + 2] Cycloadditions of N,4-Dialkylpyridinium Salts and Enones To Construct Azaspiro[5.5]undecane Frameworks.

The asymmetric dearomative formal [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of activated N,4-dialkylpyridinium salts and acyclic α,ß-unsaturated ketones was developed by the cascade iminium ion-enamine catalysis of a cinchona-derived amine. A spectrum of valuable azaspiro[5.5]undecane architectures was efficiently constructed with high to excellent diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity.

Metformin induces apoptosis in mesenchymal stromal cells and dampens their therapeutic efficacy in infarcted myocardium.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular complications, especially myocardial infarctions (MIs), are the leading mortality cause in diabetic patients. The transplantation of stem cells into damaged hearts has had considerable success as a treatment for MI, although whether antidiabetic drugs affect the therapeutic efficacy of stem cell transplantation is still unknown. This study aims to understand whether and how metformin, one of the first-line drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), induces mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) apoptosis and dampens their cardioprotective effect after transplantation into infarcted hearts. METHODS: A mouse MI model was generated via permanent ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. MSCs with or without metformin treatment were transplanted after MI in diabetic mice. Echocardiography was used to assess cardiac function and determine cardiac remodeling, and TTC staining was performed to evaluate infarction size. A mouse gavage model was performed to evaluate bone marrow MSCs for flow cytometry assay. RESULTS: Metformin dampened MSC therapeutic efficacy, which increased infarct size and restricted functional cardiac recovery. Specifically, metformin induced the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-mediated apoptosis through the inhibition of S6K1-Bad-Bcl-xL cell survival signaling, resulting in the upregulated expression of apoptosis-associated proteins and increased MSC apoptosis. Accordingly, counteracting AMPK attenuated metformin-induced apoptosis in MSCs and partially restored their cardioprotective effects in diabetic mice with MI. Furthermore, a decrease in peripheral blood MSCs was found in patients with T2DM who had a metformin medication history. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight an unexpected adverse effect of metformin-induced MSC apoptosis through AMPK-mediated mTOR suppression, which is attenuated by an AMPK inhibitor. Moreover, AMPK inhibition may be a novel strategy for enhancing the effectiveness of stem cell therapy after MI in diabetes.

Organocatalytic Enantioselective 1,3-Difunctionalizations of Morita-Baylis-Hillman Carbonates.

The in-situ-generated zwitterionic allylic ylides between Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates from isatins and chiral tertiary amine catalysts underwent highly regioselective and enantioselective 1,3-oxo-ethynylation or 1,3-amino-sulfenylation reactions with silyl ethynyl-1,2-benziodoxol-3( 1H)-ones or N-(aryl or alkylthio)imides, respectively, giving densely functionalized products bearing a quaternary stereogenic center. An array of diversely structured scaffolds were efficiently constructed from the products, showing the synthetic versatility of the current catalytic strategy.

Chinese expert consensus on echelons treatment of pelvic fractures in modern war.

The characteristics and treatment of pelvic fractures vary between general conditions and modern war. An expert consensus has been reached based on pelvic injury epidemiology and the concepts of battlefield treatment combined with the existing levels of military medical care in modern warfare. According to this consensus, first aid, emergency treatment and early treatment of pelvic fractures are introduced in three separate levels. In Level I facilities, simple triage and rapid treatment following the principles of advanced trauma life support are recommended to evaluate combat casualties during the first-aid stage. Re-evaluation, further immobilization and fixation, and hemostasis are recommended at Level II facilities. At Level III facilities, the main components of damage control surgery are recommended, including comprehensive hemostasis, a proper resuscitation strategy, the treatment of concurrent visceral and blood vessel damage, and battlefield intensive care. The grading standard for evidence evaluation and recommendation was used to reach this expert consensus.

[Exogenous agmatine inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced activation and dysfunction of human umbilical vein endothelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether exogenous agmatine inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation and dysfunction of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by modulating nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and MAPK signal pathways and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). METHODS: Cultured HUVECs were treated with agmatine at the optimized concentration of 1.0 mmolγL, LPS (10 µgγmL), and LPS + agmatine, with or without pretreatment with the inhibitors of NF-κB (PDTC), p38 (SB203580), and ERK (PD98059) for 1 h. The levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), soluble E-selectin and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in the supernatant were determined using ELISA, and their mRNA expressions, along with heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1), were assessed using real-time PCR. ROS production in the cells was determined using 2, 7-dichlorofluoresce in diacetate (DCFH-DA) as the fluorescence probe. The protein expressions of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, p65, phospho-p65 (p-p65), IκBα, p-IκBα, ERK, p-ERK, p38, p-p38, JNK, and p-JNK were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: LPS stimulation for 6 and 24 h significantly increased the levels of sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, sE-selectin and MCP-1 in the supernatant, intracellular ROS production, and the mRNA expressions of these molecules (P<0.05). Intervention with 1 mmolγL agmatine, similar with pretreatment with p38, ERK and NF-κB inhibitors, obviously inhibited such effects of LPS in HUVECs (P<0.05). Agmatine significantly up-regulated the mRNA expression of HO-1 (P<0.05), inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of p38, ERK, nuclear p65 and cytoplasmic IκBα, and up-regulated the protein expression of cytoplasmic IκBα. CONCLUSION: Agmatine inhibits LPS-induced activation and dysfunction of HUVECs by modulating NF-κB and MAPK signal pathways to down-regulate the expressions of adhesion molecules and chemokines and by up-regulating the expression of HO-1 to reduce ROS production.

Soluble Egg Antigen Activates M2 Macrophages via the STAT6 and PI3K Pathways, and Schistosoma Japonicum Alternatively Activates Macrophage Polarization to Improve the Survival Rate of Septic Mice.

Sepsis is one of the most challenging health problems worldwide. Our previous study showed that chronic schistosoma japonica (SJ) infection might increase serum anti-inflammatory factors to play a protective role, thus improving the survival rate of septic mice. Further research revealed that SJ infection promoted J774A.1 macrophage differentiation into M2 macrophages; suppressed LPS-induced activation of M1 macrophages; up-regulated CD163, IL-10, and TGF-ß1 expression; inhibited TNF-α and iNOS expression; and blocked the effect of LPS-promoted TNF-α and iNOS expression. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of ex vivo programed M2 macrophages significantly increased the survival rate of septic mice. In vitro studies suggested that soluble egg antigen (SEA) from SJ played the same role as worm infection but had no impact on M1 macrophages. SEA reduced LPS-induced TNF-α and iNOS expression, decreased the inhibitory effect of LPS on IL-10 and TGF-ß1 expression, increased STAT6 phosphorylation, and up-regulated PI3K and Akt expression but inhibited SOCS1 expression. When PI3K inhibitors were added, SEA-induced expression of CD163, IL-10, and arg1 might be reduced. Therefore, worm infection has a protective effect in septic mice in which SEA may play a key role via the STAT6 and PI3K pathways. This finding may provide a favorable solution for the treatment of sepsis, especially early cases. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 4230-4239, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evodiamine Inhibits Zymosan-Induced Inflammation In Vitro and In Vivo: Inactivation of NF-κB by Inhibiting IκBα Phosphorylation.

Evodiamine (EVO), an important alkaloidal component extracted from the fruit of Evodiae fructus, has been known to possess anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and other therapeutic capabilities. In the present study, the effects of EVO on zymosan-induced inflammation and its underlying mechanism were investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that EVO effectively suppressed both protein and mRNA expression of interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in vitro. Zymosan-induced DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) was attenuated by EVO, which was achieved through inhibitory effects on the phosphorylation of inhibitory κB α and p65 nuclear translocation, but there was very little association with mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. In vivo, treatment with EVO markedly decreased TNF-α and IL-6 levels in plasma. EVO also repressed inflammatory cytokine expression and ameliorated the abnormal state in both lung and intestine tissues by inactivation of NF-κB. Furthermore, EVO significantly reduced the mortality caused by zymosan. In summary, these results suggested that EVO could effectively suppress inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo, and may be a potential therapeutic agent against inflammatory disorders.